Crewwolfy Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 I have some problems with my right wrist. Gets heavy at times.. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRfix Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Wow thanks yall! I will be going there for 2 months this summer and was thinking of using my bike as my sole source of transport while I'm there too. I just posted another "post" on vfr discussion asking about this givi rack system I just bought for $25 (if yall have the time take a look see at that new post under the 5th gen section) I don;t know how to connect it easily without the top case rack (I only have the side racks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FromMaine Posted May 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 1, 2015 I've done 5 cross country's, 3 on V4's. 10K in 2011 on a VF1100 Sabre with my daughter on back, 8K in 2012 on my 85 VF1000R, and 4.5K when I flew to Iowa to pick up my fourth gen in 2013, which I drove to western Co, before returning to Maine. I can offer the following. What everyone said about the charging system, make it right if needed, battery also. Ditch the car tire idea, forever. I personally prefer rain proof gear, just easier than stopping and putting stuff on, don't have to remember to pack also. But I do own raingear, I bought a one piece suit in Switzerland when I got caught in heavy rain in my leathers. It works well, just a pain to put on. Better than a 2 piece IMO. Ditch the entertainment option, you are riding the best entertainment there is. Install a 12 volt outlet. For your GPS, air compressor (Slime makes a small one for about $10) , phone charger, etc. Pack a tire repair kit, tire pressure gauge, fuses, a few bulbs, wire ties, tape, etc. a service manual would be a bonus. If you can't fix your bike, having these things may help someone who can. Stow some cash somewhere. I keep a couple of fifty's stowed away in my jacket just in case. I had my credit card hacked and canceled all during a 840 mile day on the R a few years back. Having the cash meant I still had a room, food and a full tank of gas the end of the day while my card company sorted it out. Bring a spare visor. I've had 2 destroyed over the years during trips, having a spare makes all the difference as they are so specific to each helmet , even among the same manf. You could spend days trying to find the right one. Hope this is of some value, have a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted May 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 1, 2015 I plan to ride my VFR from SF to Denver in a month... - what type of MPG should i expect - what cheap rain stuff should I take - any other recommendations? Has anyone done this? Will my tires be done after this trip? (I saw some people putting car tires on.. thats and interesting idea for a long trip... what do you think? - entertainment? comfort? all long distance tips welcome! :) Mileage it depends...... I have been touring with my 5th gen for well over ten years. My high is about 53 and my low is 33. There of course the usual variables mentioned above such as wind, speed, gas quality/blends, temperature, weight/drag, altitude and terrain that all impact range. My last tank was right at my maximum range of 251 miles to include some mixed freeway and country roads with about a 45 mpg rating. I am in the camp of waterproof/resistant gear as packing space is always a premium for me and frankly I do not like to stop and then takeoff/on gear all the time AND..... AND you can not always stop safely at that moment!!!!! My tour stuff Aerostich is still hanging in there after 10 years plus. Tires......yes you can make it with new tread. Back 15 years ago I was getting about 4.5 to 5 k out of a set of sport touring rubber. Now I am riding a bit slower but I have way more crap on the bike and my current PR2s have about 8K on them and are good for lots of weekend stuff still. I will change before my next VFR tour however. I have a Goldwing too and I do not use car tires but some do????????? I do have MP3s on my GPS and phone but mostly I just ride now! I wrote up some of my lessons learned from touring here. Tour reports are always a good source of lessons learned. DO not slab unless you have to.......Explore!!!!! http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78484-v4s-to-utah-and-the-north-rim/ I am still riding with stock bars and screen which still work. My OEM seat was killing me on my first tour and was replaced with a Sargent and my ass is not the weak link anymore. Check tires, electrics and if you over 20K take a strong look at your chain and sprocket before you leave!!!!!!! GO V4s.......try it! Heaven! And for Pete's sake do not worry about getting it all right on your first big one as even now I change routine/stuff for every tour based on my latest lessons from the road!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dustin Posted May 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 2, 2015 If you don't have a tire plug kit and a portable 12v air compressor or c02 inflator kit I highly recommend getting one. Rollin This plus your factory tool kit basically covers your bases. Maybe a volt meter since it is a VFR after all ;) Coast-to-coast ain't no thing for a VFR, the only concern is the rider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gig Posted May 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 2, 2015 Home / Shop / Sport Skiveez SPORT SKIVEEZ » $59.95 size Choose an option… small (waist: 26" - 30")medium (waist: 32" - 34")large (waist: 36" - 38")x-large (waist: 40" - 42")xx-large (waist: 44"+) Description Product Description Designed for the rider with a forward leaning position. This riding position places most of the weight bearing on the inner thighs/upper groin region of the rider and less in the actual seating are. This design functions best for the modern sport bike rider and is optimized to improve comfort from contact with the inner thighs on the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer clwesel Posted May 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 2, 2015 I plan to ride my VFR from SF to Denver in a month... - what type of MPG should i expect - what cheap rain stuff should I take - any other recommendations? Has anyone done this? Will my tires be done after this trip? (I saw some people putting car tires on.. thats and interesting idea for a long trip... what do you think? - entertainment? comfort? all long distance tips welcome! :) I would highly recommend using Highway 50 both ways. Highway 80 is horrible, especially in Wyoming. Double check the weather reports before your travel, especially Highway 70 area. +1 on PorscheBob's comments. HWY 50 would be a much better ride. It merges with I70 in Nevada and you could take it all the way to Denver or you could get off the slab in Grand Junction, CO and take HWY 50 to Montrose (home of SumSum 2 and 3), east on HWY 50 to Poncha Springs, north on Hwy 285 to just before Buena Vista, east on Hwy 24 to Colorado Springs, and then north on I25 to Denver. It all depends on how fast you want to get to Denver and how much of CO and the mountain roads you want to enjoy. There are many other routes to take, if you want to see some of the mountains and stay off the concrete slabs. You can PM me if you have any questions. You should visit cotrip.org. CDOT posts all ongoing road construction, rock mitigation, etc. There is a lot of on going construction on I70 from the tunnels down thru Idaho Springs, that you may want to avoid, if you not in a hurry to get to Denver. +1 again on checking the weather. Snow storms are common on the mountain passes well into June, and rain showers crop up almost every afternoon in the mountains, so plan accordingly. Good luck, and enjoy the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01ragtop Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 You can always tell what someone has experienced on a road trip by what they recommend you bring with you. My brother had a 96 VFR, and wouldn't leave on a road trip without a spare R/R. I have a friend that always takes a spare kickstand spring. When I road a Harley, I always made sure to carry my road side assistance contact and my towing insurance card as I couldn't carry enough spare parts, or guess which ones I would need. In terms of comfort, think about the things that make you want to get off the bike, and protect against them. If you hate being cold, bring layers. If you hate being wet, bring good rain gear. If you hate that your wrists get sore, buy risers, etc, etc. Only you can answer what makes you want off of a bike, so only you know what to bring to protect against those things. I may have missed the suggestion, but I like to have a crampbuster or a throttle lock. On my first trip I was fine without it until day five, when suddenly I barely had the strength to twist the throttle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted May 3, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 3, 2015 I believe the route toward Colorado Springs brings you close to Pikes Peak. I hope to hit that bucket list item on the way to SumSum3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted May 3, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 3, 2015 I believe the route toward Colorado Springs brings you close to Pikes Peak. I hope to hit that bucket list item on the way to SumSum3. On the way to 2012 SumSum, IIRC the race had been delayed for some reason and I coincidentally got there the day after it was held - skidmarks everywhere. There's a toll on it - I think for bikes it was $12 or something like that. Be on the lookout for LEO's though - the speed limits are fairly low and I did see several of them. Definitely worth the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted May 3, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 3, 2015 I believe the route toward Colorado Springs brings you close to Pikes Peak. I hope to hit that bucket list item on the way to SumSum3. On the way to 2012 SumSum, IIRC the race had been delayed for some reason and I coincidentally got there the day after it was held - skidmarks everywhere. There's a toll on it - I think for bikes it was $12 or something like that. Be on the lookout for LEO's though - the speed limits are fairly low and I did see several of them. Definitely worth the trip. My wallet thanks you. My right wrist hates you. Wallet rules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRfix Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Yeah i hope to get there fast with least possible gas $$ shelled out... plus i don't want to fumble with directions too much... i would try to do it in one day if i could... might take a tent and camp next to the bike if i have to. how often does it rain in denver.. would my bike be ok as sole transport for 2 months? last thing is i might get a throttle lock... i was looking at those go cruise brand ones... the cheaper one ok? i was going to do the zip tie lock trick but cant find one thick enough... $19 or $32?? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=go+throttle+lock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01ragtop Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I lived in Colorado for 15 years before moving to California. Like much of the west, they are in a drought, but typically the weather in Colorado is less than predictable. We used to say, "If you don't like the weather in the Rockies, wait ten minutes, it'll change." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted May 5, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 5, 2015 Get one if those "paddlesx like crampbuster. I have one from Scotoiler. am on the road these days and it really help maintaining (high) speed on prolonged streches of Autobahn. At lower speeds/around town they are not so good at even the lightest touch will make the bike jump ay bit. (that is leverage for you :-) )But no problem, you simple rotate the paddle forward/clockwise until it points down. If and when you want to use it again, simply rotate it further until it is in the desired position. Etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted May 5, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 5, 2015 Plenty of theses ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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